Sydney Opera House: New Year's Eve Opera Gala

Sydney Opera House, Sydney

One of the most famous and iconic buildings in the world, the Sydney Opera House on the harbor is the acme of architectural brilliance.

One of the most famous and iconic buildings in the world, the Sydney Opera House on the harbor is the acme of architectural brilliance. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its creative structural design and form. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Modern Expressionist masterpiece was built between 1959 and 1973. The 183 metre long and 120 metre wide pink granite building is topped by soaring white roof shells shaped like billowing sails, a design which suits the waterfront.

The main Concert Hall in the western group of shells is home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world with over 10,000 pipes. The smaller venues - Drama Theatre, Playhouse, and Studio are underneath the Concert Hall. The interiors have 2 large murals – John Olsen's 'Five Bells', and Michael Nelson Jagamara's 'Possum Dreaming'. The building also houses a recording studio, cafes, restaurants, bars and retail outlets.

1 hour long guided walking tours of the Sydney Opera House offer a glimpse of what lies behind the scenes at the renowned performance theatre where over 1500 concerts, ballets, musicals and plays are staged every year. Learn about the history and architecture of the magnificent building, and get awed by largest pillar-free chambers in the world. Upgrade your tour to include a tasting plate for two at the Portside Sydney or a meal at the Opera Bar with spectacular views of the harbor.

Stretching from the Overseas Passenger Terminal on West Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House forecourt on East Circular Quay, the Sydney Writers Walk is a path lined with a series of 60 metal plaques dedicated to authors who have spent time in Australia at some point of time in their lives

The Kirribilli Point has the Gothic Revival style Kirribilli House which is the Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister, and the Admiralty House where the governor general stays when he is in town

Originally used as the Water Police Court (1856), then the Water Police Station (1858) and the Police Court (1886), the elegant sandstone building on the Albert Street corner in Circular Quay is today home to the Justice and Police Museum

Housed in a restored mid-19thcentury sandstone warehouse, The Rocks Discovery Museum tells the story of The Rocks area of Sydney from the pre-European era when it was known as Warrane to the present day